Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
KAIA
I woke up with a pounding against my skull and clothes I didn’t remember picking out twisted on my body, one nipple popping out of my white tank top.
“What the hell happened?” I groaned.
I looked around the room, searching for any clues of the night before. I was alone in my bed, so nothing too good happened. I was wearing pajamas, and my outfit from going out sat in my hamper. “Where’s my bra?” I asked into the dark room.
There was nothing around the room that hinted at anything out of the ordinary, so I got out of bed and padded to the kitchen for some water and toast. I felt nauseous but thankfully not enough to actually throw up… yet.
My savior, Daisy, was in the kitchen, making eggs, toast, and bacon. She looked up at me and smiled widely. “Good morning, sunshine. How did you sleep?”
I groaned and made a face. “What happened?” I asked, sitting on the stool at the island and placing a hand on my forehead.
She shook her head and handed me a glass of orange juice and some pain relievers. I thanked her, swallowed them down, and hoped they’d stay there.
“You had quite the night, little lady.” She grinned, handing me a plate.
“Oh no. What did I do? I didn’t, like, drunk dial someone, did I?” I felt around for my phone, forgetting where I put that as well.
She unplugged it from the wall by the dishwasher and handed it to me. “No, you didn’t drunk dial anyone, but you did flirt with someone.”
I frowned, confused. “I flirted with someone? Who? A stranger?”
“You really don’t remember last night, do you?”
I shook my head. “Apparently not. I remember go-karting and…” I trailed off, the memory of feeling her leg against mine coming back. I hadn’t meant to caress her leg like that; I didn’t know what had come over me. She’d just been so close, and I honestly hadn’t thought she could even feel it.
“Yes? Go-karting and?” she pressed.
“We sat down for drinks. I remember ordering a few lemon drops.”
“Four, Kaia. You ordered four.” She smiled.
I covered my mouth, instantly remembering those shots and not wanting to taste them again. “After that, not much else. I remember almost falling off the stool, and going to the bathroom, and that’s it.”
“Oh, sweetie.” She looked at me with sympathy,
“What? What did I do?”
“Well, for starters, you didn’t flirt with a stranger. You flirted with me.”
“Shut the fuck up!” I instantly shook my head and my hands, wishing I could take it back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I just wasn’t expecting that. I… what?”
She smiled. “It’s okay. You were drunk, but yeah, you did. You kept rubbing my leg, telling me how soft it was and how beautiful I was, which, thank you, by the way. Even though you were wasted, it was still nice.”
I felt sick. No longer from the hangover, now from her words. I flirted with her? I touched her? “Daisy, I didn’t try to kiss you or anything, did I?”
Her smile fell and she visibly swallowed. Her nonanswer was enough. I raised my hands to say I had no clue, but instead, I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom.
The more I replayed her words in my head, the more I threw up. I was mortified at the thought of not only trying to make a move, but having that move shut down.
I spent way too long in the bathroom, but eventually, I emerged. I had to face her sooner or later, and now that I emptied my stomach, I was starving.
When I returned to the kitchen, Daisy was still in her same spot behind the island, eating a piece of bacon. I took my seat on the same stool like I never left.
“Daisy, I am so incredibly sorry. I don’t remember trying to kiss you at all. I am so embarrassed, and I’m so sorry I acted like that in front of your friends. I’m sorry I acted like that in the first place.”
I hid my face in shame. She walked over to me and removed my hands from my face.
“Kaia, please stop. First of all, you apologized a lot last night, but it’s not necessary.
You were drunk. You stopped yourself before our lips touched, and you didn’t go any further than that.
I promise, it’s okay. It’s already forgotten. ”
I nodded, not really buying that she was totally cool with it, but not in the mood to talk about it anymore, either. Totally forgotten.
“I’m going to take Duke out. Why don’t you take a shower and get some rest? Get rid of your hangover before our thrift store date tomorrow.”
I smiled. That sounded like a wonderful idea. “Thanks, sunny.” I hugged her and watched her leave to take Duke outside.
I’d probably cry in the shower from mortification, and then I’d get out and sleep this hangover away and start fresh tomorrow. But first, bacon.
The next morning felt like I had been planted into a new body. I felt recharged and refreshed, ready for our day.
I got up early, did some yoga, caught up on emails, and even took Duke for a little run, leaving a note for Daisy in case she got up and saw we were missing.
When I came back, Duke’s bowl was filled with food and a plate with my name on it sat in front of my usual stool.
“Morning, lemon head,” Daisy signed after petting Duke.
I scowled. “That’s so not funny. I’m still totally embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. I told you it’s fine. It felt nice to be hit on, even by a drunk.” She grinned.
“I’m never drinking around you again.”
“Why? The idea of kissing me really makes you that sick? You’re nicer when you’re drunk, you know that?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I…” I shook my head, unsure of what I was trying to say.
“Kaia, relax. I’m messing with you. Let’s drop it, okay?
I’m going to get ready, and we can head out whenever you’re ready.
No rush.” She brought me in for a hug and rubbed my back, calming the racing thoughts in my head.
When she pulled us apart, she smiled. “Thanks for taking Duke out.” She kissed my cheek, and then she was gone.
“What the hell is going on?” I groaned out loud. I rubbed my eyes and headed for the shower.
I spent a little more time than necessary in the shower, trying and failing not to think about what would’ve happened if I’d actually kissed Daisy.
I would’ve been so mad if it had actually happened, and I’d been too drunk to remember it.
If I thought back on it, that was probably my reasoning for pulling back like she said I had.
The only sliver of my brain that was sober probably fought to get that message across.
We met up in the living room after my shower. Daisy was on her laptop, and I tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to look up. She smiled at me and shut her laptop.
“Ready?” I asked.
She nodded and stood up before leading us out the door.
“Remind me what we’re looking for again?”
With the events from the last several days, I had forgotten why she’d asked me to come with her.
“I want you to feel like your room is your own, so we are looking for things you want to decorate with. I also think we should see if they have any good Christmas decorations while we are here.”
I frowned at the mention of Christmas. I had been so caught up with mourning my father, moving in with Daisy, and dealing with my feelings for her that the holiday completely slipped my mind.
It would be my first without him. Christmas was pretty special to us, and that only grew after my mom passed. The thought of decorating or celebrating without him just felt wrong.
“I don’t want to decorate. I’m sorry.” I didn’t say anything more than that, but I didn’t have to. Daisy knew me better than anyone in my life did.
“Kaia, I’m such an idiot. I’m so sorry. It’s your first Christmas without your dad—why would you want to decorate? I’m sorry for being inconsiderate. We definitely don’t need to decorate. Let’s just look around and not think, okay? Get whatever calls to us?”
I was thankful for the distraction and nodded. “That sounds perfect.”